The present invention relates to a PC card frame kit, a PC card and a PC card production method. The term xe2x80x9cPC cardxe2x80x9d is herein to be understood to include PC cards in a narrow sense, cards for communications such as memory cards and LAN cards, smart cards, small PC cards, CF (compact flash (trade mark)) cards, and other cards having constructions similar to the PC cards in a narrow sense.
Notebook personal computers, for example, are typically provided with a PC card slot, in which a PC card is fitted for extension of their capabilities. The PC card is of a card shape as a whole, and includes a board assembly having a connector mounted on a board for connection to the PC card slot, a frame retaining the board assembly, and a pair of metal panels covering upper and lower surfaces of the board assembly.
PC card production processes are generally classified into a mechanical production process which is suitable formass production and a manual production process which is suitable for relatively small volume production of various types of products. In the mechanical production process, metal panels are fixed to a frame such as molded from a resin with the use of a ultrasonic fusion bonding apparatus or the like. In the manual production process, on the contrary, a pair of metal panels are manually combined with each other by pressing the pair of metal panels toward each other by fingers or a jig with a board assembly and a frame held therebetween for assembling a PC card.
In a PC card frame kit (including the frame and the pair of metal panels) for use in the manual assembling process, for example, engagement members to be brought into lock engagement with each other are provided on side edges of the pair of metal panels. In the assembling, these engagement members are engaged with each other through through-holes formed in the frame, whereby the pair of metal panels are combined with each other and with the frame simultaneously.
However, this arrangement inevitably entails a loose connection between the metal panels and the frame. The loose connection practically presents no functional problem, but the PC card is mechanically unstable, thereby falling short of product perfection. In addition, the PC card may become disassembled if a great shock is applied thereto, for example, when the card is dropped on the floor.
One approach to solve this problem in the prior art is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-153121 (1997). The prior art approach is intended to improve the mechanical stability of a PC card by resiliently biasing a pair of panels outward by resilient press members provided in a frame.
However, the prior art approach fails to assuredly prevent the disassembly of the PC card which may occur if a great shock is applied to the card, for example, when the card is dropped on the floor, because the looseness occurs within the range of resilient deformation of the resilient press members.
The panels, when pressed toward each other, are slightly deformed due to deformation of the resilient press members. Therefore, the PC card is not satisfactory in terms of product perfection.
The PC card is assembled by first positioning the pair of panels with respect to the frame and then combining the pair of panels with each other. However, the positioning of the panels with respect to the frame is not necessarily easy, resulting in difficulty in the assembling. This leads to a lower PC card assembling efficiency.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a PC card frame kit which provides a PC card free from any looseness, and to provide a PC card utilizing such a PC card frame kit.
It is another object of the invention to provide a PC card frame kit which provides a PC card having an improved resistance to an external force, and to provide a PC card utilizing such a PC card frame kit.
It is further another object of the invention to provide a production method for a PC card which ensures easy assembling of the PC card.
A PC card frame kit according to the present invention comprises: a frame for retaining a board assembly having a connector mounted on a board; and a pair of panels for covering upper and lower faces of the board assembly mounted in the frame, wherein the pair of panels each have a pivotal engagement piece provided on a rear edge thereof for pivotal engagement with the frame, front lock engagement pieces provided on front ends of opposite side edges thereof for lock engagement between the panels, and a press-fit piece provided on at least one of the side edges thereof to be press-fitted in the frame, wherein the frame has a pivotal engagement piece receiving groove formed in a rear beam thereof for receiving the pivotal engagement piece in a rotatable manner, and a press-fit groove formed in at least one of opposite side beams associated with the press-fit piece for receiving the press-fit piece.
With this inventive arrangement, the press-fit pieces of the panels are press-fitted in the press-fit groove of the frame, so that the loose connection between the pair of panels can be eliminated. Therefore, even if a great shock is applied to the PC card, for example, when the PC card is dropped on the floor, the PC card is prevented from becoming disassembled. Further, even if a torsion is applied to the PC card, the frame and the panels are accordingly deformed by the effect of the press-fit pieces and the press-fit groove, so that there is no possibility that the panels are disengaged from each other or from the frame. Thus, a PC card having a higher level of product perfection can be provided.
Since the panels are each combined with the frame by engaging the pivotal engagement piece with the pivotal engagement piece receiving groove and then rotating the panel with respect to the frame, the panels can easily be positioned with respect to the frame along the side edges of the panels. Further, the front lock engagement pieces are brought into lock engagement with each other, so that the panels are prevented from being disengaged from each other.
It is preferred that press-fit pieces are provided on both of the opposite side edges of each of the panels. Thus, the looseness can more assuredly be prevented.
The pivotal engagement piece preferably has an open square cross section perpendicular to the rear edge. Thus, the pivotal engagement piece can assuredly be connected to the frame, so that the disassembly of the PC card can be prevented.
A plurality of pivotal engagement piece receiving grooves may be provided in the rear beam of the frame in such an arrangement that a space can be reserved in which the connector or the like is mounted.
The pivotal engagement piece receiving groove preferably has a positioning abutment portion which is to abut against the pivotal engagement piece for positioning the panels with respect to the frame along the rear edges of the pair of panels.
With this arrangement, the positioning of the panels with respect to the frame along the rear edges of the panels can easily be achieved. Thus, the assembling of the PC card is further facilitated.
The positioning abutment portion may be provided at an end of the pivotal engagement piece receiving groove to abut against a side face of the pivotal engagement piece.
The pair of panels preferably each further have a side lock piece provided on at least one of the opposite side edges thereof for lock engagement between the panels.
With this inventive arrangement, the side edges of the panels are connected by the lock engagement, so that the pair of panels can assuredly be combined with each other.
It is preferred that side lock pieces are provided on both of the opposite side edges of each of the panels. Thus, the panels are assuredly prevented from being disengaged from each other.
It is preferred that the side lock pieces respectively provided on the pair of panels are resilient pieces, one of which is formed with a hook portion for preventing disengagement, and the other of which is formed with an engagement hole for receiving the hook portion for snap engagement with the hook portion.
With this arrangement, the side lock pieces are resiliently engaged with each other, so that the snap engagement therebetween can easily be achieved and the hook portion in the snap engagement is assuredly prevented from being disengaged from the engagement hole. Thus, the panels can more assuredly be combined with each other.
Alternatively, the side lock piece provided on one of the pair of panels is preferably a resilient member having an upstanding portion extending upward from the side edge of the panel to fit along the side beam of the frame, and a hook portion extending from the upstanding portion inwardly of the frame. In this case, the side lock piece provided on the other panel is preferably a resilient member having a downstanding portion extending downward from the side edge of the panel to fit along the side beam of the frame, a guide portion extending obliquely from the downstanding portion inwardly of the frame for guiding the hook portion, and an engagement hole formed in a proximal portion of the guide portion. It is preferred that the hook portion is guided into the engagement hole by the guide portion to be brought into snap engagement with the engagement hole by pressing the pair of panels toward each other in an opposed relation.
With this arrangement, the side lock pieces respectively provided on the side edges of the pair of panels are configured as the resilient members. Therefore, the both of resilient members are deformed when the pair of panels are pressed toward each other and the hook portion provided on the one panel is guided by the guide portion provided on the other panel. More specifically, the upstanding portion of the side lock piece on the one panel is resiliently deformed outwardly of the frame, while the downstanding portion (and the guide portion) of the side lock piece of the other panel is resiliently deformed inwardly of the frame. When the hook portion reaches the engagement hole, the side lock pieces are restored into their original shapes, whereby the snap engagement between the hook portion and the engagement hole is achieved. Since the pair of side lock pieces are each resiliently deformed, the snap engagement can easily be achieved.
Once the pair of side lock pieces are engaged with each other, disengagement of the side lock pieces is not easy. Since the engagement of the resilient members is achieved by causing the resilient members to be resiliently deformed away from each other and then to be restored into their original shapes, the hook portion and the engagement hole are kept in firm lock engagement. For release from the lock engagement, it is necessary to resiliently deform the side lock pieces to bring the hook portion and the guide portion away from each other by applying a force to the side lock piece of the one panel outwardly from the inside of the frame while applying a force to the side lock piece of the other panel inwardly from the outside of the frame. With the pair of side lock pieces being engaged with each other, however, it is impossible to apply an external force to the hook portion outwardly of the frame from the outside of the frame. Further, the guide portion is located inwardly of the junction between the pair of side lock pieces, so that it is impossible to apply an external force to the guide portion. With this inventive arrangement, therefore, the pair of panels can be combined with each other in a non-disassemblable manner, so that there is no possibility that the PC card thus assembled by combining the pair of panels becomes disassembled.
Alternatively, one of the pair of panels preferably has upstanding portions extending upward from generally entire portions of the opposite side edges thereof, and first abutment portions extending from generally entire distal edges of the upstanding portions bent inwardly of the frame. In this case, the other panel preferably has downstanding portions extending downward from generally entire portions of the opposite side edges of the panel, and second abutment portions extending from generally entire distal edges of the downstanding portions bent inwardly of the frame to be opposed to the first abutment portions. It is preferred that the first abutment portions respectively abut against the second abutment portions with the pair of panels combined with each other.
With this arrangement, the pair of panels respectively have the first abutment portions and the second abutment portions which bend and extend inwardly of the frame from the generally entire portions of the opposite side edges thereof. With the pair of panels combined with each other, therefore, generally entire edge faces of the opposite side edges of the pair of panels are directed inwardly of the frame, and the first abutment portions and the second abutment portions abut against, so that these end faces are not exposed to the outside. Thus, a PC card having a good appearance can be provided.
Where the aforesaid two features associated with the construction of the side edges of the panels are employed in combination, the panels may be configured such that: the upstanding portions extend from the generally entire portions of the opposite side edges of the one panel; the downstanding portions extend from the generally entire portions of the opposite side edges of the other panel; the hook portions extend from the distal edges of the first abutment portions; and the guide portions extend from the distal edges of the second abutment portions.
In this case, the hook portions are preferably each held between an edge face of the engagement hole and the second abutment portion with the pair of side lock pieces engaged with each other. Thus, the second abutment portion resiliently abuts against the hook portion, whereby the looseness can be eliminated. The hook portion which is assuredly locked by the edge face of the engagement hole is assuredly prevented from being disengaged from the engagement hole.
Another PC card frame kit according to the present invention comprises: a frame for retaining a board assembly having a connector mounted on a board; and a pair of panels for covering upper and lower faces of the board assembly mounted in the frame, wherein the pair of panels each have a side lock piece provided on at least one of opposite side edges thereof for lock engagement between the panels, wherein the side lock piece provided on one of the pair of panels is a resilient member having an upstanding portion extending upward from the side edge of the panel to fit along a side beam of the frame, and a hook portion extending from the upstanding portion inwardly of the frame, wherein the side lock piece provided on the other panel is a resilient member having a downstanding portion extending downward from the side edge of the panel to fit along the side beam of the frame, a guide portion extending obliquely from the downstanding portion inwardly of the frame for guiding the hook portion, and an engagement hole formed in a proximal portion of the guide portion, wherein the hook portion is guided into the engagement hole by the guide portion to be brought into snap engagement with the engagement hole by pressing the pair of panels toward each other in an opposed relation.
In accordance with the invention, a robust PC card can be provided which is easy to assemble and will never become disassembled after the assembling.
In this case, it is preferred that: the upstanding portion extends generally entirely along each of the opposite side edges of the one panel; the downstanding portion extends generally entirely along each of the opposite side edges of the other panel; the one panel further includes a first abutment portion extending from a generally entire distal edge of the upstanding portion inwardly of the frame to connect the upstanding portion to the hook portion; the other panel further includes a second abutment portion extending from a generally entire distal edge of the downstanding portion inwardly of the frame to connect the downstanding portion to the guide portion.
With this arrangement, a PC card having a good appearance can be provided.
In this case, the hook portion is preferably held between an edge face of the engagement hole and the second abutment portion with the pair of side lock pieces engaged with each other. Thus, the second abutment portion resiliently abuts against the hook portion, whereby the loose connection can be eliminated. The hook which is assuredly locked by the edge face of the engagement hole is assuredly prevented from being disengaged from the engagement hole.
The frame may be a unitary rectangular ring member having a generally rectangular shape. The term xe2x80x9crectangular ring member having a generally rectangular shapexe2x80x9d herein means a closed ring frame having a generally rectangular shape including a square shape.
With this arrangement, the unitary frame is less liable to be deformed as compared with a case where the frame is composed of a plurality of separate members. Therefore, the assembled PC card is assuredly prevented from being loosened, and imparted with a higher resistance to an external force. In addition, when the panels are to be combined with the frame, the panels can easily be positioned with respect to the frame, so that the assembling of the PC card is advantageously facilitated.
A PC card according to the present invention comprises the aforesaid frame kit and a board assembly, wherein the pair of panels are combined with the frame with the board assembly retained between the pair of panels.
With this inventive arrangement, the panels are assuredly joined together in press-fit engagement against the frame, so that the panels can be combined with each other without any looseness and assuredly combined with the frame. Therefore, even if a great external force is applied to the PC card, for example, when the PC card is dropped on the floor or subjected to torsion, there is no possibility that the PC card becomes disassembled.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a PC card production method, in which a first panel and a second panel are attached to a frame retaining a board assembly having a connector mounted on a board to cover upper and lower faces of the board assembly mounted in the frame, the PC card production method comprising the steps of: bringing a pivotal engagement piece provided on a rear edge of the first panel into engagement with a pivotal engagement piece receiving groove formed in a rear beam of the frame; rotating the first panel with respect to the frame about the pivotal engagement piece as a rotation axis until a front edge of the first panel abuts against the frame; bringing a pivotal engagement piece provided on a rear edge of the second panel into engagement with the pivotal engagement piece receiving groove formed in the rear beam of the frame; rotating the second panel with respect to the frame about the pivotal engagement piece as a rotation axis until a front edge of the second panel abuts against the frame; and pressing the first and second panels against the frame to combine the first and second panels with each other and with the frame.
In accordance with the invention, the panels are combined with the frame after the pivotal engagement pieces are engaged with the pivotal engagement piece receiving groove of the frame and the panels are rotated about the pivotal engagement pieces as the rotation axes. Therefore, the panels can easily be positioned with respect to the frame along the side edges of the first and second panels.
Since the first and second panels are combined with each other and with the frame, the PC card thus produced has an improved resistance to an external force.
In this case, the combining step preferably comprises the steps of: engaging front lock engagement pieces provided on front end portions of opposite side edges of the first panel with front lock engagement pieces provided on front end portions of opposite side edges of the second panel; and press-fitting a press-fit piece provided on at least one of the side edges of each of the first and second panels into a press-fit groove formed in the frame.
Thus, the front lock engagement pieces are brought into lock engagement with each other, so that the PC card thus produced has the panels assuredly combined with each other.
Since the press-fit pieces of the respective panels are press-fitted in the press-fit groove of the frame, the PC card thus produced is free from any looseness, and has a higher resistance to an external force.
The press-fit pieces of the first and second panels may be press-fitted in the press-fit groove of the frame either simultaneously or successively.
The foregoing and other objects, features and effects of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.